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Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism in a Frog Obeys the Inverse of Rensch’s Rule

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Abstract

Rensch’s rule refers to a pattern in sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in which SSD increases with body size when males are the larger sex and decreases with body size when females are the larger sex. Using data on body size from 40 populations and age from 31 populations of the rice frog Rana limnochari with female-biased size dimorphism, I tested the consistency of allometric relationships between males and females with Rensch’s rule and evaluated the hypothesis that SSD was largely a function of age differences between the sexes. Statistical comparisons of body sizes between the sexes showed the evidence for the inverse of Rensch’s rule, indicating the level of SSD increased with increasing mean body size. One of the explanations for the occurrence of the inverse of Rensch’s rule may be the fecundity selection hypothesis assuming increased reproductive output in large females. However, differences in age between males and females among populations could explain mildly the variation in SSD.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Sang Lin Lou, Long Jin, Yu Mei Tang, Gang Tao, Yan Hong Lou and Wen Cao Liu for assistance during the field and lab work. I also thank two anonymous reviewers for critical comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Financial support was provided by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (31101633) and Innovative Team Foundation of China West Normal University.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, People’s Republic of China

    Wen Bo Liao

  2. Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, College of Life Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, People’s Republic of China

    Wen Bo Liao

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Correspondence to Wen Bo Liao.

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Liao, W.B. Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism in a Frog Obeys the Inverse of Rensch’s Rule. Evol Biol 40, 293–299 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-012-9212-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-012-9212-5

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